If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Slow starter

It took me forever but I finally had time to sew channels in my WBBB hybrid clone. So, for my first attempt I tried this as it was pretty simple, cheap and probably the lightest option.

Originally Posted by Redoleary

On the foot end, I still had a slight ridge but it was major improvement. Also, the foot box showed no signs of stress. As for the head end, Its hard to say for sure after just a few minutes but I did feel less pressure on my shoulders and didn't have to struggle to find the sweet spot like I did when I whipped the end using the W gather method.
I think I'll try a Dowell MSB next and then maybe spring for some biners.
I got some PVC to try too. Awhile ago I saw this boyscout vid where they formed lengths of it into snowshoe frames by filling them with heated sand. Wonder if it would take the stress if formed into an arc and then placed through the channel. Might save a couple inches of length.

Well to be honest, ninjahammockman, I think my little quick cable tie mod has some value for ENO hammocks like my DN that has that extra(some might say useless) 6" of fabric on each side, but might not be so great for other channel end hammocks that you are trying to get some more apparent length. On my hammock it brings up the tension on those outer panels- and I get some more width on an already pretty wide hammock.

Homemade, I agree I really like that mod for snugging up the bar and leveling out the spread. Send us pics of the hang when you get it made up!

Ellis
Any help on the dimensions would be much appreciated, I don't have much Amsteel left.

This is the post on how I originally made them. These had a 9" lead between the brummel loop and the split for the spreader bar. Then I realized that was just a waste of Amsteel and unneeded. You should be able to get away with using 24" per end.

Start with the locked brummel at the center of the Amsteel. Then bury about an inch or two and pass the sheath piece of Amsteel through the inner piece. This will lock it again.

I take the strands and measure a length equal to the measurement between the two holes in the spreader bar and then add the thickness of the bar and then the distance between the holes doubled with a little more than the circumference of the bar added in. This will form as close to an isosceles triangle as you can get.

Put the split at one hole, take the Amsteel over and through the other hole, then back to the first hole. Wrap the Amsteel around the bar once and mark where the Amsteel comes together. Give yourself a little slack here. Make your locked brummel here , put the loop over the bar slide it back to the hole and take the loose end of the Amsteel back to the other hole. This will be the length of your bury. Repeat for the other side.

The loops on the ends need to be very tight fitting over the dowels like barely able to push them on.

It helps if you can find some delrin, steel or other rods/pins to jam in the hole with ends extending out to keep the loop from jumping over the line going out to the main suspension.

A huge help is to run one or both lines through a piece of silicone or other grippy tubing then that goes through the channel, then the hammock end will not slip around on the amsteel, IE it will stay in place and you can shift the gathering around to wherever you want it.

I found the most comfortable setup for me, with a 9'6" hammock was a 10" (hole to hole) spreader bar at the head and a 20" spreader bar at the foot.

Originally Posted by HomeMadeHiker

I was thinking of making a couple of these.

Ellis

Any help on the dimensions would be much appreciated, I don't have much Amsteel left.[/QUOTE]

The loops on the ends need to be very tight fitting over the dowels like barely able to push them on.

It helps if you can find some delrin, steel or other rods/pins to jam in the hole with ends extending out to keep the loop from jumping over the line going out to the main suspension.

A huge help is to run one or both lines through a piece of silicone or other grippy tubing then that goes through the channel, then the hammock end will not slip around on the amsteel, IE it will stay in place and you can shift the gathering around to wherever you want it.

I have not found that to be necessary as I believe the channel ends are pinched where the amsteel comes out of the holes. I haven't had any slippage nor have I needed to add anything else to this set-up.